Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Public and Nonprofit Administration Combined [BA + MPA]


Revised Program [Fall 2021]


The combined Bachelor of Arts in Public and Nonprofit Administration and Master of Public Administration degree is an accelerated five-year program in which exceptional students will earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students will spend their first three years engaged in undergraduate studies and their final two completing the graduate program. The total number of credits needed for the program will be 150. Students will complete their General Education requirements at the undergraduate level, a minor, and an abbreviated version of the undergraduate Public and Nonprofit Administration Major. Starting their fourth year, students will complete all 40-46 hours of the MPA program, and a portion of the credits will double count toward the undergraduate BA degree.

The curriculum requires two internships, one as part of the undergraduate major, the second in the MPA portion. Thus, students will have substantial field experience in public administration upon completing the full BA/MPA degrees (website).

Program Admission


Graduate School Application

After reviewing the admission requirements below, please select the appropriate application. The University is transitioning application platforms; pay close attention when selecting the application below.

The program you are applying to may not accept applicants every semester.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Admission Requirements

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

A four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution. In addition, a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program, is required for full admission. Applicants who do not meet minimum admission requirements may be considered for conditional admission. See International Admissions for international applicant requirements.

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements:

Students must consult with their undergraduate academic advisor before applying.

  • An undergraduate GPA of 3.3
  • A 250-word description of the applicant’s academic and professional history and professional goals in public administration.
  • Two letters of recommendation. 

Application Process

Qualified applicants will be admitted to Fall and Winter semesters on a rolling basis until the start of the term, but desired classes may not be available for students, and delays in securing official transcripts may also delay admission decisions.

Department Information


Political Science Barbara Patrick, Ph.D., Department Head | 601 Pray-Harrold, 734.487.3113, bpatric1@emich.edu

Advisor Information


Tucker Staley, Ph.D., 601 Pray Harrold, 734.487.3113, tstaley2@emich.edu

Undergraduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s undergraduate transcript. 

For the undergraduate portion of this program, students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements, please see the Undergraduate Catalog or print a General Education Worksheet .

Major Requirements: 30 hours


Minor Requirement:


This major requires a minor. Please see the Undergraduate Catalog for a list of available minors.

Graduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s graduate transcript.

Degree Requirements: 27 hours


Concentration: 18 hours


Select one concentration from the following. Specific courses to be determined with the graduate advisor and identified below.

General Public Administration: 18 hours


We welcome students who would like to tailor their program to their career interests rather than specializing in either of the two concentrations above. You can create an individualized set of Political Science and other courses subject to approval by the MPA advisor. Three courses must be in PLSC.

Combined Program Total: 151 hours


Critical Graduation Information


The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the on-line catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
  • Complete a Writing Intensive (WI) Course in your major.
  • Earn a minimum of 45 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
  • Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
  • Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
  • Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
    • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
  • Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; the internal review of such courses is conducted by individual departments/schools within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credits for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor, will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements | EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available on the General Education section of the undergraduate catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.